BP BHEAD INT H [Atlas:Generic]

AN ACT Relating to flood damage reduction; amending RCW 36.70A.060, 36.70A.070, 36.70A.170, 43.21C.020, 75.20.100, 75.20.103, 75.20.130, 79.90.150, 79.90.300, 86.15.030, 86.15.050, 86.15.160, 86.26.105, 90.58.180, 86.12.200, and 90.58.030; adding new sections to chapter 75.20 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 79.90 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.17 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.26 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 86.12 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 79.90.325; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that river and stream systems can threaten public and private property during flood events. River systems react in different ways: When some rivers flood, they scour; others fill in by sediment deposition. The legislature further finds that when placing or removing organic debris in a river that scours, it may be appropriate to place more debris for fish habitat; if it is a river that deposits sediments and tends to fill in then it may be appropriate to remove deposits to create some deeper pools and a better flow pattern, that will help fish habitat as well as lessen flood danger. The legislature therefore declares that reducing flood damage through the use of structural and nonstructural projects is in the public interest and that it is the duty of the state to assist in funding flood control projects. Structural and nonstructural projects include but are not limited to: Streambank stabilization, river channel maintenance, land use restrictions, land buy-outs, flood easements, and emergency notification. The legislature further declares that counties be given the flexibility to make those decisions that are best for their particular rivers, rather than prescribe or constrain local government to the point where they cannot manage their different types of rivers. The legislature further declares that local governments should coordinate flood planning and flood projects so that the projects do not cause flooding in other areas. Counties and cities are encouraged to coordinate using watershed planning areas to provide consistent planning throughout a water's course.

Sec. 2. RCW 36.70A.060 and 1991 sp.s. c 32 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Each county that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, and each city within such county, shall adopt development regulations on or before September 1, 1991, to assure the conservation of agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands designated under RCW 36.70A.170. Regulations adopted under this subsection may not prohibit uses legally existing on any parcel prior to their adoption and shall remain in effect until the county or city adopts development regulations pursuant to RCW 36.70A.120. Such regulations shall assure that the use of lands adjacent to agricultural, forest, or mineral resource lands shall not interfere with the continued use, in the accustomed manner and in accordance with best management practices, of these designated lands for the production of food, agricultural products, or timber, or for the extraction of minerals. Counties and cities shall require that all plats, short plats, development permits, and building permits issued for development activities on, or within three hundred feet of, lands designated as agricultural lands, forest lands, or mineral resource lands, contain a notice that the subject property is within or near designated agricultural lands, forest lands, or mineral resource lands on which a variety of commercial activities may occur that are not compatible with residential development for certain periods of limited duration.

(2) Each county and city shall adopt development regulations that protect critical areas that are required to be designated under RCW 36.70A.170. For counties and cities that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, such development regulations shall be adopted on or before September 1, 1991. For the remainder of the counties and cities, such development regulations shall be adopted on or before March 1, 1992.

(3) Such counties and cities shall review these designations and development regulations when adopting their comprehensive plans under RCW 36.70A.040 and implementing development regulations under RCW 36.70A.120 and may alter such designations and development regulations to insure consistency.

(4) Forest land and agricultural land located within urban growth areas shall not be designated by a county or city as forest land or agricultural land of long-term commercial significance under RCW 36.70A.170 unless the city or county has enacted a program authorizing transfer or purchase of development rights.

(5) All development regulations developed under this section shall be consistent with the flood plain management plan adopted by the county under RCW 86.26.105.

Sec. 3. RCW 36.70A.070 and 1996 c 239 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The comprehensive plan of a county or city that is required or chooses to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 shall consist of a map or maps, and descriptive text covering objectives, principles, and standards used to develop the comprehensive plan. The plan shall be an internally consistent document and all elements shall be consistent with the future land use map, and the comprehensive flood plain management plan adopted by the county under RCW 86.26.105. A comprehensive plan shall be adopted and amended with public participation as provided in RCW 36.70A.140.

Each comprehensive plan shall include a plan, scheme, or design for each of the following:

(1) A land use element designating the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of land, where appropriate, for agriculture, timber production, housing, commerce, industry, recreation, open spaces, general aviation airports, public utilities, public facilities, and other land uses. The land use element shall include population densities, building intensities, and estimates of future population growth. The land use element shall provide for protection of the quality and quantity of ground water used for public water supplies. Where applicable, the land use element shall review drainage, flooding, and storm water run-off in the area and nearby jurisdictions and provide guidance for corrective actions to mitigate or cleanse those discharges that pollute waters of the state, including Puget Sound or waters entering Puget Sound.

(2) A housing element ensuring the vitality and character of established residential neighborhoods that: (a) Includes an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs; (b) includes a statement of goals, policies, objectives, and mandatory provisions for the preservation, improvement, and development of housing, including single-family residences; (c) identifies sufficient land for housing, including, but not limited to, government-assisted housing, housing for low-income families, manufactured housing, multifamily housing, and group homes and foster care facilities; and (d) makes adequate provisions for existing and projected needs of all economic segments of the community.

(3) A capital facilities plan element consisting of: (a) An inventory of existing capital facilities owned by public entities, showing the locations and capacities of the capital facilities; (b) a forecast of the future needs for such capital facilities; (c) the proposed locations and capacities of expanded or new capital facilities; (d) at least a six-year plan that will finance such capital facilities within projected funding capacities and clearly identifies sources of public money for such purposes; and (e) a requirement to reassess the land use element if probable funding falls short of meeting existing needs and to ensure that the land use element, capital facilities plan element, and financing plan within the capital facilities plan element are coordinated and consistent.

(4) A utilities element consisting of the general location, proposed location, and capacity of all existing and proposed utilities, including, but not limited to, electrical lines, telecommunication lines, and natural gas lines.

(5) Counties shall include a rural element including lands that are not designated for urban growth, agriculture, forest, or mineral resources. The rural element shall permit appropriate land uses that are compatible with the rural character of such lands and provide for a variety of rural densities and uses and may also provide for clustering, density transfer, design guidelines, conservation easements, and other innovative techniques that will accommodate appropriate rural uses not characterized by urban growth.

(6) A transportation element that implements, and is consistent with, the land use element. The transportation element shall include the following subelements:

(a) Land use assumptions used in estimating travel;

(b) Facilities and services needs, including:

(i) An inventory of air, water, and ground transportation facilities and services, including transit alignments and general aviation airport facilities, to define existing capital facilities and travel levels as a basis for future planning;

(ii) Level of service standards for all arterials and transit routes to serve as a gauge to judge performance of the system. These standards should be regionally coordinated;

(iii) Specific actions and requirements for bringing into compliance any facilities or services that are below an established level of service standard;

(iv) Forecasts of traffic for at least ten years based on the adopted land use plan to provide information on the location, timing, and capacity needs of future growth;

(v) Identification of system expansion needs and transportation system management needs to meet current and future demands;

(i) An analysis of funding capability to judge needs against probable funding resources;

(ii) A multiyear financing plan based on the needs identified in the comprehensive plan, the appropriate parts of which shall serve as the basis for the six-year street, road, or transit program required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems;

(iii) If probable funding falls short of meeting identified needs, a discussion of how additional funding will be raised, or how land use assumptions will be reassessed to ensure that level of service standards will be met;

(d) Intergovernmental coordination efforts, including an assessment of the impacts of the transportation plan and land use assumptions on the transportation systems of adjacent jurisdictions;

(e) Demand-management strategies.

After adoption of the comprehensive plan by jurisdictions required to plan or who choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040, local jurisdictions must adopt and enforce ordinances which prohibit development approval if the development causes the level of service on a transportation facility to decline below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan, unless transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of development are made concurrent with the development. These strategies may include increased public transportation service, ride sharing programs, demand management, and other transportation systems management strategies. For the purposes of this subsection (6) "concurrent with the development" shall mean that improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development, or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years.

The transportation element described in this subsection, and the six-year plans required by RCW 35.77.010 for cities, RCW 36.81.121 for counties, and RCW 35.58.2795 for public transportation systems, must be consistent.

Sec. 4. RCW 36.70A.170 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 17 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) On or before September 1, 1991, each county, and each city, shall designate where appropriate:

(a) Agricultural lands that are not already characterized by urban growth and that have long-term significance for the commercial production of food or other agricultural products;

(b) Forest lands that are not already characterized by urban growth and that have long-term significance for the commercial production of timber;

(c) Mineral resource lands that are not already characterized by urban growth and that have long-term significance for the extraction of minerals; and

(d) Critical areas.

(2) In making the designations required by this section, counties and cities shall consider the guidelines established pursuant to RCW 36.70A.050, and shall make such designations so that they are consistent with the flood plain management plan adopted by the county under RCW 86.26.105.

Sec. 5. RCW 43.21C.020 and 1971 ex.s. c 109 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature, recognizing that ((~~man~~)) people depend((s)) on ((~~his~~)) their biological and physical surroundings for food, shelter, and other needs, and for cultural enrichment as well((;)), and recognizing further the profound impact of ((~~man's~~)) human activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment, particularly the profound influences of population growth, high-density urbanization, industrial expansion, resource utilization and exploitation, and new and expanding technological advances, and recognizing further the critical importance of restoring and maintaining environmental quality to the overall welfare and development of ((~~man~~)) people, declares that it is the continuing policy of the state of Washington, in cooperation with federal and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations, to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to: (a) Foster and promote the general welfare; (b) ((to)) create and maintain conditions under which ((~~man~~)) people and nature can exist in productive harmony; and (c) fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Washington citizens.

(2) In order to carry out the policy set forth in this chapter, it is the continuing responsibility of the state of Washington and all agencies of the state to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of state policy, to improve and coordinate plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the state and its citizens may:

(a) Fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;

(b) Assure for all people of Washington safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;

(c) Attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences;

(d) Preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage;

(e) Maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity and variety of individual choice;

(f) Achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities; ((~~and~~))

(g) Enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources; and

(h) Provide for the prevention, minimization, and repair of flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120.

(3) The legislature recognizes that each person has a fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment and that each person has a responsibility to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the environment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply to RCW 75.20.100, 75.20.103, and 75.20.130.

(1) "Bed" means the land below the ordinary high water lines of state waters. This definition does not include irrigation ditches, canals, storm water run‑off devices, or other artificial watercourses except where they exist in a natural watercourse that has been altered by humans.

(2) "Commercial" means any facility or building used for commerce, including those used for agricultural or industrial purposes.

(3) "Emergency" means an immediate threat to life, public land, or private property, or an immediate threat of serious environmental degradation.

(4) "Streambank stabilization" includes but is not limited to log and debris removal; bank protection including riprap, jetties, and groins; gravel removal; and erosion control.

(5) "To construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work" does not include the act of driving across an established ford. Driving across streams or on wetted stream beds at areas other than established fords requires approval. Work within the ordinary high water line of state waters to construct or repair a ford or crossing requires approval.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

The permitting department may impose the following conditions on persons applying under RCW 75.20.100 or 75.20.103:

(1) The permittee shall establish an excavation line. "Excavation line" means a line on the dry bed, parallel to the water's edge unless otherwise stated, that changes with water level fluctuations.

(2) The permittee may not remove bed material from the water side of the excavation line.

(3) The permittee shall begin excavating at the excavation line and proceed toward the bank, perpendicular to the alignment of the watercourse.

(4) The permittee shall keep the maximum distance of excavation toward the bank from the excavation line approximately equal throughout the excavation zone. "Excavation zone" means the area between the excavation line and the bank.

(5) The permittee shall identify the excavation zone with boundary markers.

(6) The permittee shall maintain a minimum one-half percent gradient upward from the excavation line in the excavation zone.

(7) The permittee shall ensure that the excavation zone is free of pits or potholes.

(8) The permittee shall not stockpile or spoil excavated materials within the ordinary high water line except from June 15 to October 15.

(9) The permittee may not allow any equipment within the wetted perimeter of the watercourse without specific permission.

(10) The permittee shall dispose of debris in the excavation zone so it does not reenter the watercourse.

(11) The permittee may not perform gravel washing or crushing operations below the ordinary high water line.

(12) The permittee shall be allowed to remove only that amount of rock, sand, gravel, or silt which is naturally replenished on an annual basis, except in instances where a lapse in material removal has occurred. If such lapse has occurred, then an amount of material equivalent to the amount estimated to have accumulated since the last material removal operation, including debris and vegetation, may be removed.

Sec. 8. RCW 75.20.100 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 30 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work that will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh waters of the state, such person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure the written approval of the department as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life. The hydraulic project approval authority of the department shall be limited to construction or other work that occurs at or below the mean higher high water line in salt water and estuaries or at or below the ordinary high water line in fresh water. The department shall neither deny nor condition a hydraulic project approval on the basis of human or animal actions or environmental conditions that occur above the higher high water line in salt water and estuaries or above the ordinary high water line in fresh water. The department may not limit, condition, or otherwise affect the amount, timing, or delivery method of water diverted under chapter 90.03 RCW. This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Except as provided in RCW 75.20.1001 ((~~and 75.20.1002~~)), the department shall grant or deny approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act, made in the manner prescribed in this section. The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail. A complete application for approval shall contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within the mean higher high water line in salt water or within the ordinary high water line in fresh water, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life. The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if ((~~(1)~~)) (a) after ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; ((~~(2)~~)) (b) the site is physically inaccessible for inspection; or ((~~(3)~~)) (c) the applicant requests delay. Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay. Approval is valid for a period of up to five years from date of issuance. The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance. If the department denies approval, the department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life. Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied or conditioned.

(2) In making a decision as to whether fish life is protected, the department shall determine if a project as proposed or modified:

(a) Presents no substantial risk to fish life and provides fish habitat productivity that is equivalent to preproject conditions at the project site within two years of the project's completion; or

(b)(i) Protects a residential, commercial, industrial, or public facility or structure that is likely to incur significant flood damage during the next flood season if the project is not completed; and (ii) lessens the loss of fish life or habitat as compared to a project resulting from an emergency request under this section.

The department shall approve a project if it determines that the project meets either (a) or (b) of this subsection.

(3) Chapter 34.05 RCW applies to any denial of project approval, conditional approval, or requirements for project modification upon which approval may be contingent. If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

((For the purposes of this section and RCW 75.20.103, "bed" shall mean the land below the ordinary high water lines of state waters. This definition shall not include irrigation ditches, canals, storm water run-off devices, or other artificial watercourses except where they exist in a natural watercourse that has been altered by man.

The phrase "to construct any form of hydraulic project or perform other work" shall not include the act of driving across an established ford. Driving across streams or on wetted stream beds at areas other than established fords requires approval. Work within the ordinary high water line of state waters to construct or repair a ford or crossing requires approval.))

(4) In case of an emergency arising from weather or stream flow conditions or other natural conditions, upon request the department, through its authorized representatives, shall ((~~issue~~)) grant immediately ((~~upon request~~)), oral approval for removing any obstructions, repairing existing structures, restoring stream banks, or ((~~to protect~~)) protecting property threatened by the stream or a change in the stream flow without ((~~the necessity of obtaining~~)) requiring a written approval prior to commencing work. Conditions of an oral approval shall be reduced to writing within thirty days and complied with as provided for in this section. Oral approval shall be granted immediately upon request, for a stream crossing during an emergency situation.

(5) In granting approval for projects submitted by local flood control agencies, the department shall grant a special duration hydraulic permit approval if the submitted project is a multiyear maintenance program. The approval shall be granted for up to five years, or the actual number of years covered by the maintenance program, whichever is less.

(6) This section shall not apply to the repair of an existing flood control project if the project is determined by the county to be:

(a) Consistent with a currently approved comprehensive flood control management plan; and

(b) Necessary to avoid flood damage during the next flood season.

(7) This section shall not apply to the construction of any form of hydraulic project or other work which diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes authorized under or recognized as being valid by the state's water codes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020. These irrigation or stock watering diversion and streambank stabilization projects shall be governed by RCW 75.20.103.

Sec. 9. RCW 75.20.103 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In the event that any person or government agency desires to construct any form of hydraulic project or other work that diverts water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes, or when such hydraulic project or other work is associated with streambank stabilization or flood damage reduction to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020, and when such ((~~diversion or streambank stabilization~~)) hydraulic project will use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any river or stream or will utilize any waters of the state or materials from the stream beds, the person or government agency shall, before commencing construction or work thereon and to ensure the proper protection of fish life, secure a written approval from the department as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life. The hydraulic project approval authority of the department shall be limited to construction or other work that occurs at or below the mean higher high water line in salt water and estuaries or at or below the ordinary high water line in fresh water. The department shall neither deny nor condition a hydraulic project approval on the basis of human or animal actions or environmental conditions that occur above the higher high water line in salt water and estuaries or above the ordinary high water line in fresh water. The department may not limit, condition, or otherwise affect the amount, timing, or delivery method of water diverted under chapter 90.03 RCW. This approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Except as provided in RCW 75.20.1001 ((~~and 75.20.1002~~)), the department shall grant or deny the approval within forty-five calendar days of the receipt of a complete application ((~~and notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act,~~)) made in the manner prescribed in this section. The applicant may document receipt of application by filing in person or by registered mail.

(2) A complete application for an approval shall:

(a) Contain general plans for the overall project, complete plans and specifications of the proposed construction or work within ordinary high water line, and complete plans and specifications for the proper protection of fish life; and

(b) Not be required to include notice of compliance with any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act. Final approval of a project may not be granted until any applicable requirements of the state environmental policy act have been satisfied.

(3) The forty-five day requirement shall be suspended if ((~~(1)~~)):

(a) After ten working days of receipt of the application, the applicant remains unavailable or unable to arrange for a timely field evaluation of the proposed project; ((~~(2)~~))

(b) The site is physically inaccessible for inspection; ((~~or (3)~~)) (c) After forty-four days of receipt of a complete application, a notice of compliance with the state environmental policy act has not been issued; or

(d) The applicant requests delay.

(4) Immediately upon determination that the forty-five day period is suspended, the department shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the delay.

(5) In making a decision as to whether fish life is protected, the department shall determine if a project as proposed or modified:

(a) Presents no substantial risk to fish life and provides fish habitat productivity that is equivalent to preproject conditions at the project site within two years of the project's completion; or

(b)(i) Protects a residential, commercial, or industrial facility or structure that is likely to incur significant flood damage during the next flood season if the project is not completed; and (ii) lessens the loss of fish life or habitat as compared to a project resulting from an emergency request under this section.

The department shall approve a project if it determines that the project meets either (a) or (b) of this subsection.

(6) An approval shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal for projects that divert water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes and that involve seasonal construction or other work. Approval for streambank stabilization projects shall remain in effect without need for periodic renewal if the problem causing the need for the streambank stabilization occurs on an annual or more frequent basis. The permittee must notify the appropriate agency before commencing the construction or other work within the area covered by the approval.

(7) The permittee must demonstrate substantial progress on construction of that portion of the project relating to the approval within two years of the date of issuance. If the department denies approval, the department shall provide the applicant, in writing, a statement of the specific reasons why and how the proposed project would adversely affect fish life. Protection of fish life shall be the only ground upon which approval may be denied or conditioned. Issuance, denial, conditioning, or modification shall be appealable to the hydraulic appeals board established in RCW 43.21B.005 within thirty days of the notice of decision. The burden shall be upon the department to show that the denial or conditioning of an approval is solely aimed at the protection of fish life.

(8) The department may, after consultation with the permittee, modify an approval due to changed conditions. The modifications shall become effective unless appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days from the notice of the proposed modification. The burden is on the department to show that changed conditions warrant the modification in order to protect fish life.

(9) A permittee may request modification of an approval due to changed conditions. The request shall be processed within forty-five calendar days of receipt of the written request. A decision by the department may be appealed to the hydraulic appeals board within thirty days of the notice of the decision. The burden is on the permittee to show that changed conditions warrant the requested modification and that such modification will not impair fish life.

(10) If any person or government agency commences construction on any hydraulic works or projects subject to this section without first having obtained written approval of the department as to the adequacy of the means proposed for the protection of fish life, or if any person or government agency fails to follow or carry out any of the requirements or conditions as are made a part of such approval, the person or director of the agency is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. If any such person or government agency is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section and continues construction on any such works or projects without fully complying with the provisions hereof, such works or projects are hereby declared a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement as such.

(11) In granting approval for projects submitted by local flood control agencies, the department shall grant a special duration hydraulic permit approval if the submitted project is a multiyear maintenance program. The approval shall be granted for up to five years, or the actual number of years covered by the maintenance program, whichever is less.

(12) In case of an emergency arising from weather or stream flow conditions or other natural conditions, the department, through its authorized representatives, shall issue immediately upon request oral approval for removing any obstructions, repairing existing structures, restoring stream banks, or to protect property threatened by the stream or a change in the stream flow without the necessity of obtaining a written approval prior to commencing work. Conditions of an oral approval shall be reduced to writing within thirty days and complied with as provided for in this section. Oral approval shall be granted immediately upon request, for a stream crossing during an emergency.

((For purposes of this chapter, "streambank stabilization" shall include but not be limited to log and debris removal, bank protection (including riprap, jetties, and groins), gravel removal and erosion control.))

(13) This section shall not apply to a project involving the repair of an existing flood control facility if the project is determined by the county to be:

(a) Consistent with a previously approved comprehensive flood control management plan; and

(b) Necessary to avoid flood damage during the next flood season.

Sec. 10. RCW 75.20.130 and 1996 c 276 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is hereby created within the environmental hearings office under RCW 43.21B.005 the hydraulic appeals board of the state of Washington.

(2) The hydraulic appeals board shall consist of three members: The director of the department of ecology or the director's designee, the director of the department of agriculture or the director's designee, and the director or the director's designee of the department whose action is appealed under subsection (6) of this section. A decision must be agreed to by at least two members of the board to be final.

(3) The board may adopt rules necessary for the conduct of its powers and duties or for transacting other official business.

(4) The board shall make findings of fact and prepare a written decision in each case decided by it, and that finding and decision shall be effective upon being signed by two or more board members and upon being filed at the hydraulic appeals board's principal office, and shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable times.

(5) The board has exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals arising from the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of a hydraulic approval issued by the department: (a) Under the authority granted in RCW 75.20.103 for the diversion of water for agricultural irrigation or stock watering purposes or when associated with streambank stabilization to protect farm and agricultural land as defined in RCW 84.34.020; or (b) under the authority granted in RCW 75.20.190 for off-site mitigation proposals.

(6)(a) Any person aggrieved by the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of a hydraulic approval pursuant to RCW 75.20.103 may seek review from the board by filing a request for the same within thirty days of notice of the approval, denial, conditioning, or modification of such approval.

(b) The review proceedings authorized in (a) of this subsection are subject to the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW pertaining to procedures in adjudicative proceedings.

(c) If a review proceeding authorized in (a) of this subsection finds for the aggrieved permit applicant, the applicant may be awarded any legal and engineering costs involved in challenging the permit decision.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 79.90 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Use or modification, or both, of any river system must involve basic hydraulic principles, as well as harmonize as much as possible with existing aquatic ecosystems, and human needs.

(2) The department, commissioner, and board shall:

(a) Encourage bank and island stabilization programs which rely mainly on natural vegetative systems as holding elements;

(b) Encourage research to develop alternative methods of channel control, utilizing natural systems of stabilization;

(c) Recognize natural plant and animal communities and other features that provide an ecological balance to a streamway in evaluating competing human uses and require protection from significant human impact; and

(d) Recognize that hydraulic conditions may require the installation of riprap or other similar measure to further protect natural systems of stabilization.

(3) No person may remove normal stream depositions of logs, uprooted tree snags, and stumps which abut on shorelands and do not intrude on the navigational channel or reduce flow, or adversely redirect a river course, and are not harmful to life and property without the department's permission but the department must consider the need to protect the resultant dependent aquatic systems.

(4) No person may fill indentations such as mudholes, eddies, pools, and aeration drops without permission of the department.

(5) The department may permit river channel relocations only when an overriding public benefit can be shown. Filling, grading, lagooning, or dredging which would result in substantial detriment to navigable waters by reason of erosion, sedimentation, or impairment of fish and aquatic life are not authorized.

(6) No person may remove sand and gravel below the wetted perimeter of navigable rivers unless authorized by a hydraulics permit issued by either the department of fisheries or department of wildlife under RCW 75.20.100 and 75.20.103. These removals may be authorized for maintenance and improvement of navigational channels or for creating backwater channels for fish rearing or improvement of the flow capacity of the channels.

(7) The department may allow sand and gravel removals above the wetted perimeter of a navigable river which are not harmful to public health and safety when any or all of the following situations exist:

(a) The removal is designed to create or improve a feature such as a pond, wetland, or other habitat valuable for fish and wildlife;

(b) The removal provides recreational benefits;

(c) The removal will aid in reducing a detrimental accumulation of aggregates in downstream lakes, reservoirs, and river beds;

(d) The removal will aid in reducing damage to private or public land and property abutting a navigable river; or

(e) The removal will contribute to increased flood protection for private or public land.

(8) The department may not allow sand and gravel removals above the wetted perimeter of a navigable river when:

(a) The location of such material is below a dam and has inadequate supplementary feeding of gravel or sand;

(b) Removal will cause unstable hydraulic conditions detrimental to fish, wildlife, public health, and safety; or

(9) No person may perform bank dumping or junk revetment on aquatic lands.

(10) The department shall condition sand and gravel removal leases to allow removal of only that amount which is naturally replenished on an annual basis, except in instances where a lapse in material removal has occurred. If such a lapse has occurred, then an amount of material equivalent to the amount estimated to have accumulated since the last material removal operation, including debris and vegetation, may be removed.

Sec. 12. RCW 79.90.150 and 1991 c 337 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

When gravel, rock, sand, silt or other material from any aquatic lands is removed by any public agency or under public contract for channel or harbor improvement, or flood control, use of such material may be authorized by the department of natural resources for a public purpose on land owned or leased by the state or any municipality, county, or public corporation: PROVIDED, That when no public land site is available for deposit of such material, its deposit on private land with the landowner's permission is authorized and may be designated by the department of natural resources to be for a public purpose. Prior to removal and use, the state agency, municipality, county, or public corporation contemplating or arranging such use shall first obtain written permission from the department of natural resources. No payment of royalty shall be required for such gravel, rock, sand, silt, or other material used for such public purpose, but a charge will be made if such material is subsequently sold or used for some other purpose: PROVIDED, That the department may authorize such public agency or private landowner to dispose of such material without charge when necessary to implement disposal of material. No charge shall be required for any use of the material obtained under the provisions of this chapter when used solely on an authorized site. No charge shall be required for any use of the material obtained under the provisions of this chapter if the material is used for public purposes by local governments. No charge may be required for removal or use of such material if the removal of the material is determined by the local government to be for flood control purposes. Public purposes include, but are not limited to, construction and maintenance of roads, dikes, and levies. Nothing in this section shall repeal or modify the provisions of RCW 75.20.100 or eliminate the necessity of obtaining a permit for such removal from other state or federal agencies as otherwise required by law.

Sec. 13. RCW 79.90.300 and 1991 c 322 s 26 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department of natural resources, upon application by any person or when determined by the department to be in the best interest of the state, may enter into a contract or lease providing for the removal and sale of rock, gravel, sand, and silt, or other valuable materials located within or upon beds of navigable waters, or upon any tidelands or shorelands belonging to the state and providing for payment to be made therefor by such royalty as the department may fix, by negotiation, by sealed bid, or at public auction. If application is made for the purchase of any valuable material situated within or upon aquatic lands the department shall inspect and appraise the value of the material in the application. The department may reduce or eliminate royalties in areas prone to flooding. Removal of material from within the ordinary high water mark must be construed as being removed for flood control purposes. The department may include a provision in contracts for the removal of rock, gravel, sand, or silt that allows for payment to be made as the material is sold.

(2) The department shall actively seek to encourage through permit requirements and adjusted fees the removal of accumulated materials from rivers and streams where there is a flood damage reduction benefit. The department shall develop policies to accomplish this goal.

Sec. 14. RCW 86.15.030 and 1969 ex.s. c 195 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Upon receipt of a petition asking that a zone be created, or upon motion of the board, the board shall adopt a resolution which shall describe the boundaries of such proposed zone; describe in general terms the flood control needs or requirements within the zone; set a date for public hearing upon the creation of such zone, which shall be not more than thirty days after the adoption of such resolution. Notice of such hearing and publication shall be had in the manner provided in RCW 36.32.120(7).

At the hearing scheduled upon the resolution, the board shall permit all interested parties to be heard. Thereafter, the board may reject the resolution or it may modify the boundaries of such zone and make such other corrections or additions to the resolutions as they deem necessary to the accomplishment of the purpose of this chapter: PROVIDED, That if the boundaries of such zone are enlarged, the board shall hold an additional hearing following publication and notice of such new boundaries: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the boundaries of any zone shall generally follow the boundaries of the watershed area affected: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the immediately preceding proviso shall in no way limit or be construed to prohibit the formation of a county-wide flood control zone district authorized to be created by RCW 86.15.025.

Within ((~~ten~~)) thirty days after final hearing on a resolution, the board shall issue its ((~~order~~)) ordinance creating the flood control zone district.

Sec. 15. RCW 86.15.050 and 1961 c 153 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

The board ((~~of county commissioners of each county~~)) shall be ex officio, by virtue of their office, supervisors of the zones created in each county. The supervisors of the district shall conduct the business of the flood control zone district according to the regular rules and procedures that it adopts.

Sec. 16. RCW 86.15.160 and 1986 c 278 s 60 are each amended to read as follows:

For the purposes of this chapter the supervisors may authorize:

(1) An annual excess ad valorem tax levy within any zone or participating zones when authorized by the voters of the zone or participating zones under RCW 84.52.052 and 84.52.054;

(2) An assessment upon property, including state property, specially benefited by flood control improvements or storm water control improvements imposed under chapter 86.09 RCW;

(3) Within any zone or participating zones an annual ad valorem property tax levy of not to exceed fifty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value when the levy will not take dollar rates that other taxing districts may lawfully claim and that will not cause the combined levies to exceed the constitutional and/or statutory limitations, and the additional levy, or any portion thereof, may also be made when dollar rates of other taxing units is released therefor by agreement with the other taxing units from their authorized levies under chapter 39.67 RCW;

(4) A charge, under RCW 36.89.080 through 36.89.100, for the furnishing of service to those who are receiving or will receive benefits from storm water control facilities ((~~and~~)) or who are contributing to an increase in surface water runoff. Except as otherwise provided in RCW 90.03.525, any public entity and public property, including the state and state property, shall be liable for the charges to the same extent a private person and privately owned property is liable for the charges, and in setting these rates and charges, consideration may be made of in-kind services, such as stream improvements or donation of property;

(5) The creation of local improvement districts and utility local improvement districts, the issuance of improvement district bonds and warrants, and the imposition, collection, and enforcement of special assessments on all property, including any state-owned or other publicly-owned property, specially benefited from improvements in the same manner as provided for counties by chapter 36.94 RCW.

Sec. 17. RCW 86.26.105 and 1986 c 46 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

((A comprehensive flood control management plan shall determine the need for flood control work, consider alternatives to in-stream flood control work, identify and consider potential impacts of in-stream flood control work on the state's in-stream resources, and identify the river's meander belt or floodway.)) (1) A comprehensive flood control management plan shall be completed and adopted ((~~within at least three years of the certification that it is being prepared, as provided in RCW 86.26.050~~)) by any county that has experienced at least two presidentially declared flood disasters within the most recent ten-year period by December 31, 2001, or within two years of a second presidentially declared flood disaster.

(2) If ((~~after this three-year period has elapsed~~)), by December 31, 2001, or within two years of a second presidentially declared flood disaster, such a comprehensive flood control plan has not been completed and adopted, grants for flood control maintenance projects shall not be made to the county or municipal corporations in the county until a comprehensive flood control plan is completed and adopted by the appropriate local authority. These limitations on grants shall not preclude allocations for emergency purposes made pursuant to RCW 86.26.060, however, priority consideration for emergency assistance shall be given to those counties that are required to plan, and have completed a plan, as required under this section.

Sec. 18. RCW 90.58.180 and 1995 c 347 s 310 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any person aggrieved by the granting, denying, or rescinding of a permit on shorelines of the state pursuant to RCW 90.58.140 may seek review from the shorelines hearings board by filing a petition for review within twenty-one days of the date of filing as defined in RCW 90.58.140(6).

Within seven days of the filing of any petition for review with the board as provided in this section pertaining to a final decision of a local government, the petitioner shall serve copies of the petition on the department and the office of the attorney general. The department and the attorney general may intervene to protect the public interest and insure that the provisions of this chapter are complied with at any time within fifteen days from the date of the receipt by the department or the attorney general of a copy of the petition for review filed pursuant to this section. The shorelines hearings board shall schedule review proceedings on the petition for review without regard as to whether the period for the department or the attorney general to intervene has or has not expired.

(2) The department or the attorney general may obtain review of any final decision granting a permit, or granting or denying an application for a permit issued by a local government by filing a written petition with the shorelines hearings board and the appropriate local government within twenty-one days from the date the final decision was filed as provided in RCW 90.58.140(6).

(3) The review proceedings authorized in subsections (1) and (2) of this section are subject to the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW pertaining to procedures in adjudicative proceedings. Judicial review of such proceedings of the shorelines hearings board is governed by chapter 34.05 RCW. The board shall issue its decision on the appeal authorized under subsections (1) and (2) of this section within one hundred eighty days after the date the petition is filed with the board or a petition to intervene is filed by the department or the attorney general, whichever is later. The time period may be extended by the board for a period of thirty days upon a showing of good cause or may be waived by the parties.

(4) Any person may appeal any rules, regulations, or guidelines adopted or approved by the department within thirty days of the date of the adoption or approval. The board shall make a final decision within sixty days following the hearing held thereon.

(5) If the review proceedings authorized in subsection (1) of this section find for the requestor, and if the requestor is the permit applicant, the requestor may be awarded any legal and engineering costs involved in challenging the permit decision.

(6) The board shall find the rule, regulation, or guideline to be valid and enter a final decision to that effect unless it determines that the rule, regulation, or guideline:

(a) Is clearly erroneous in light of the policy of this chapter; or

(b) Constitutes an implementation of this chapter in violation of constitutional or statutory provisions; or

(d) Was developed without fully considering and evaluating all material submitted to the department during public review and comment; or

(e) Was not adopted in accordance with required procedures.

((~~(6)~~)) (7) If the board makes a determination under subsection ((~~(5)~~)) (6)(a) through (e) of this section, it shall enter a final decision declaring the rule, regulation, or guideline invalid, remanding the rule, regulation, or guideline to the department with a statement of the reasons in support of the determination, and directing the department to adopt, after a thorough consultation with the affected local government and any other interested party, a new rule, regulation, or guideline consistent with the board's decision.

((~~(7)~~)) (8) A decision of the board on the validity of a rule, regulation, or guideline shall be subject to review in superior court, if authorized pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW. A petition for review of the decision of the shorelines hearings board on a rule, regulation, or guideline shall be filed within thirty days after the date of final decision by the shorelines hearings board.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 19. A new section is added to chapter 43.17 RCW to read as follows:

Each appropriate agency shall actively seek to encourage through permit requirements the removal of accumulated materials from rivers and streams where there is a flood damage reduction benefit. Each agency shall develop policies to accomplish this goal. Policies shall be developed from a designed, open-channel hydraulic engineering criteria to facilitate the natural downstream movement of detrimental material.

Sec. 20. RCW 86.12.200 and 1991 c 322 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

The county legislative authority of any county may adopt a comprehensive flood control management plan for any drainage basin that is located wholly or partially within the county.

A comprehensive flood control management plan shall include the following elements:

(1) Designation of areas that are susceptible to periodic flooding, from inundation by bodies of water or surface water runoff, or both, including the river's meander belt or floodway;

(2) Establishment of a comprehensive scheme of flood control protection and improvements for the areas that are subject to such periodic flooding, that includes: (a) Determining the need for, and desirable location of, flood control improvements to protect or preclude flood damage to structures, works, and improvements, based upon a ((~~cost/benefit~~)) cost-benefit ratio between the expense of providing and maintaining these improvements and the benefits arising from these improvements; (b) establishing the level of flood protection that each portion of the system of flood control improvements will be permitted; (c) identifying alternatives to in-stream flood control work; (d) identifying areas where flood waters could be directed during a flood to avoid damage to buildings and other structures; ((~~and~~)) (e) identifying areas where a river may migrate into a new channel and developing options to prevent the creation of the new channel, and identifying practices that will avoid long-term accretion of sediments; and (f) identifying sources of revenue that will be sufficient to finance the comprehensive scheme of flood control protection and improvements;

(3) Establishing land use regulations that preclude the location of structures, works, or improvements in critical portions of such areas subject to periodic flooding, including a river's meander belt or floodway, and permitting only flood-compatible land uses in such areas;

(4) Establishing restrictions on construction activities in areas subject to periodic floods that require the flood proofing of those structures that are permitted to be constructed or remodeled; and

(5) Establishing restrictions on land clearing activities and development practices that exacerbate flood problems by increasing the flow or accumulation of flood waters, or the intensity of drainage, on low-lying areas. Land clearing activities do not include forest practices as defined in chapter 76.09 RCW.

A comprehensive flood control management plan shall be subject to the minimum requirements for participation in the national flood insurance program, requirements exceeding the minimum national flood insurance program that have been adopted by the department of ecology for a specific flood plain pursuant to RCW 86.16.031, and rules adopted by the department of ecology pursuant to chapter 86.16 RCW and RCW 86.26.050 relating to flood plain management activities. When a county plans under chapter 36.70A RCW, it ((~~may~~)) must incorporate the portion of its comprehensive flood control management plan relating to land use restrictions in its comprehensive plan and development regulations adopted pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW.

Sec. 21. RCW 90.58.030 and 1996 c 265 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions and concepts apply:

(1) Administration:

(a) "Department" means the department of ecology;

(b) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology;

(c) "Local government" means any county, incorporated city, or town which contains within its boundaries any lands or waters subject to this chapter;

(d) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, organization, cooperative, public or municipal corporation, or agency of the state or local governmental unit however designated;

(e) "Hearing board" means the shoreline hearings board established by this chapter.

(2) Geographical:

(a) "Extreme low tide" means the lowest line on the land reached by a receding tide;

(b) "Ordinary high water mark" on all lakes, streams, and tidal water is that mark that will be found by examining the bed and banks and ascertaining where the presence and action of waters are so common and usual, and so long continued in all ordinary years, as to mark upon the soil a character distinct from that of the abutting upland, in respect to vegetation as that condition exists on June 1, 1971, as it may naturally change thereafter, or as it may change thereafter in accordance with permits issued by a local government or the department: PROVIDED, That in any area where the ordinary high water mark cannot be found, the ordinary high water mark adjoining salt water shall be the line of mean higher high tide and the ordinary high water mark adjoining fresh water shall be the line of mean high water;

(c) "Shorelines of the state" are the total of all "shorelines" and "shorelines of state-wide significance" within the state;

(d) "Shorelines" means all of the water areas of the state, including reservoirs, and their associated shorelands, together with the lands underlying them; except (i) shorelines of state-wide significance; (ii) shorelines on segments of streams upstream of a point where the mean annual flow is twenty cubic feet per second or less and the wetlands associated with such upstream segments; and (iii) shorelines on lakes less than twenty acres in size and wetlands associated with such small lakes;

(e) "Shorelines of state-wide significance" means the following shorelines of the state:

(i) The area between the ordinary high water mark and the western boundary of the state from Cape Disappointment on the south to Cape Flattery on the north, including harbors, bays, estuaries, and inlets;

(ii) Those areas of Puget Sound and adjacent salt waters and the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the ordinary high water mark and the line of extreme low tide as follows:

(A) Nisqually Delta‑-from DeWolf Bight to Tatsolo Point,

(B) Birch Bay‑-from Point Whitehorn to Birch Point,

(D) Skagit Bay and adjacent area‑-from Brown Point to Yokeko Point, and

(E) Padilla Bay‑-from March Point to William Point;

(iii) Those areas of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and adjacent salt waters north to the Canadian line and lying seaward from the line of extreme low tide;

(iv) Those lakes, whether natural, artificial, or a combination thereof, with a surface acreage of one thousand acres or more measured at the ordinary high water mark;

(v) Those natural rivers or segments thereof as follows:

(A) Any west of the crest of the Cascade range downstream of a point where the mean annual flow is measured at one thousand cubic feet per second or more,

(B) Any east of the crest of the Cascade range downstream of a point where the annual flow is measured at two hundred cubic feet per second or more, or those portions of rivers east of the crest of the Cascade range downstream from the first three hundred square miles of drainage area, whichever is longer;

(vi) Those shorelands associated with (i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of this subsection (2)(e);

(f) "Shorelands" or "shoreland areas" means those lands extending landward for two hundred feet in all directions as measured on a horizontal plane from the ordinary high water mark; floodways and contiguous floodplain areas landward two hundred feet from such floodways; and all wetlands and river deltas associated with the streams, lakes, and tidal waters which are subject to the provisions of this chapter; the same to be designated as to location by the department of ecology. Any county or city may determine that portion of a one-hundred-year-flood plain to be included in its master program as long as such portion includes, as a minimum, the floodway and the adjacent land extending landward two hundred feet therefrom;

(g) "Floodway" means those portions of the area of a river valley lying streamward from the outer limits of a watercourse upon which flood waters are carried during periods of flooding that occur with reasonable regularity, although not necessarily annually, said floodway being identified, under normal condition, by changes in surface soil conditions or changes in types or quality of vegetative ground cover condition. The floodway shall not include those lands that can reasonably be expected to be protected from flood waters by flood control devices maintained by or maintained under license from the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state;

(h) "Wetlands" means areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. Wetlands do not include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland sites, including, but not limited to, irrigation and drainage ditches, grass-lined swales, canals, detention facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, farm ponds, and landscape amenities, or those wetlands created after July 1, 1990, that were unintentionally created as a result of the construction of a road, street, or highway. Wetlands may include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland areas to mitigate the conversion of wetlands.

(3) Procedural terms:

(a) "Guidelines" means those standards adopted to implement the policy of this chapter for regulation of use of the shorelines of the state prior to adoption of master programs. Such standards shall also provide criteria to local governments and the department in developing master programs;

(b) "Master program" shall mean the comprehensive use plan for a described area, and the use regulations together with maps, diagrams, charts, or other descriptive material and text, a statement of desired goals, and standards developed in accordance with the policies enunciated in RCW 90.58.020;

(c) "State master program" is the cumulative total of all master programs approved or adopted by the department of ecology;

(d) "Development" means a use consisting of the construction or exterior alteration of structures; dredging; drilling; dumping; filling; removal of any sand, gravel, or minerals; bulkheading; driving of piling; placing of obstructions; or any project of a permanent or temporary nature which interferes with the normal public use of the surface of the waters overlying lands subject to this chapter at any state of water level;

(e) "Substantial development" shall mean any development of which the total cost or fair market value exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars, or any development which materially interferes with the normal public use of the water or shorelines of the state; except that the following shall not be considered substantial developments for the purpose of this chapter:

(i) Normal maintenance or repair of existing structures or developments, including damage by accident, fire, or elements;

(ii) Improvements to dikes and levees if the improvement is determined by a county to be consistent with a flood control management plan developed under chapter 86.26 RCW;

(iii) Streambed maintenance including sediment removal, sediment disposal, and streambank stabilization if performed to provide public flood control benefit as determined by the appropriate county legislative authority;

(iv) Construction of stream flow regulation, retention, or detention facilities if consistent with a flood control management plan developed under chapter 86.26 RCW;

(v) Construction of the normal protective bulkhead common to single family residences;

((~~(iii)~~)) (vi) Emergency construction necessary to protect property from damage by the elements;

((~~(iv)~~)) (vii) Construction and practices normal or necessary for farming, irrigation, and ranching activities, including agricultural service roads and utilities on shorelands, and the construction and maintenance of irrigation structures including but not limited to head gates, pumping facilities, and irrigation channels. A feedlot of any size, all processing plants, other activities of a commercial nature, alteration of the contour of the shorelands by leveling or filling other than that which results from normal cultivation, shall not be considered normal or necessary farming or ranching activities. A feedlot shall be an enclosure or facility used or capable of being used for feeding livestock hay, grain, silage, or other livestock feed, but shall not include land for growing crops or vegetation for livestock feeding and/or grazing, nor shall it include normal livestock wintering operations;

((~~(v)~~)) (viii) Construction or modification of navigational aids such as channel markers and anchor buoys;

((~~(vi)~~)) (ix) Construction on shorelands by an owner, lessee, or contract purchaser of a single family residence for his own use or for the use of his family, which residence does not exceed a height of thirty-five feet above average grade level and which meets all requirements of the state agency or local government having jurisdiction thereof, other than requirements imposed pursuant to this chapter;

((~~(vii)~~)) (x) Construction of a dock, including a community dock, designed for pleasure craft only, for the private noncommercial use of the owner, lessee, or contract purchaser of single and multiple family residences. This exception applies if either: (A) In salt waters, the fair market value of the dock does not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars; or (B) in fresh waters, the fair market value of the dock does not exceed ten thousand dollars, but if subsequent construction having a fair market value exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars occurs within five years of completion of the prior construction, the subsequent construction shall be considered a substantial development for the purpose of this chapter;

((~~(viii)~~)) (xi) Operation, maintenance, or construction of canals, waterways, drains, reservoirs, or other facilities that now exist or are hereafter created or developed as a part of an irrigation system for the primary purpose of making use of system waters, including return flow and artificially stored ground water for the irrigation of lands;

((~~(ix)~~)) (xii) The marking of property lines or corners on state owned lands, when such marking does not significantly interfere with normal public use of the surface of the water;

((~~(x)~~)) (xiii) Operation and maintenance of any system of dikes, ditches, drains, or other facilities existing on September 8, 1975, which were created, developed, or utilized primarily as a part of an agricultural drainage or diking system;

((~~(xi)~~)) (xiv) Site exploration and investigation activities that are prerequisite to preparation of an application for development authorization under this chapter, if:

(A) The activity does not interfere with the normal public use of the surface waters;

(B) The activity will have no significant adverse impact on the environment including, but not limited to, fish, wildlife, fish or wildlife habitat, water quality, and aesthetic values;

(C) The activity does not involve the installation of a structure, and upon completion of the activity the vegetation and land configuration of the site are restored to conditions existing before the activity;

(D) A private entity seeking development authorization under this section first posts a performance bond or provides other evidence of financial responsibility to the local jurisdiction to ensure that the site is restored to preexisting conditions; and

(E) The activity is not subject to the permit requirements of RCW 90.58.550;

((~~(xii)~~)) (xv) The process of removing or controlling an aquatic noxious weed, as defined in RCW 17.26.020, through the use of an herbicide or other treatment methods applicable to weed control that are recommended by a final environmental impact statement published by the department of agriculture or the department jointly with other state agencies under chapter 43.21C RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 22. A new section is added to chapter 86.26 RCW to read as follows:

A flood protection project is work necessary to preserve, restore, or improve either natural or human-made stream banks or flood control facilities that repair or prevent flood damage as defined in RCW 86.16.120 including but not limited to damage by erosion, stream flow, sheet runoff, or other damages by the sea or other bodies of water.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 23. A new section is added to chapter 86.12 RCW to read as follows:

Upon request by a county or city preparing a comprehensive flood management plan under this chapter, the department of transportation shall:

(1) Provide an inventory of all state highways and bridges located in a floodplain as designated by the federal emergency management agency;

(2) Identify any state roads or bridges that may cause a constriction to the natural flow of flood waters;

(3) Identify state roads that, either by themselves or in conjunction with levees or other structures in the floodplain, may entrap floodwaters in areas originally intended to be flood-proofed; and

(4) Provide any other information available to the department to assist in preventing or minimizing flood damages.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 24. RCW 79.90.325 and 1984 c 212 s 10 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 25. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.